This Chocolate Cherry Pear Crisp is a simple yet satisfying dessert that is sure to please! Juicy pears are combined with chocolate chips and dried cherries, then baked in the oven with a sweet and buttery oat topping. This is a fall and winter treat that you don’t want to miss – it will warm you to your toes and make your whole kitchen smell amazing!
When it comes to easy, comforting homemade desserts, fruit crisps are right at the top of my list. But it seems like when I think of a warm, homey fruit crisp, my mind goes directly to an apple crisp. And though an apple crisp is totally delicious, I think that changing it up with other seasonal fruit is pretty great, too. And in this case, I’ve used pears. (But not only pears – I’ve sneaked in some chocolate and cherries to make it just a little extra-special!) This is a perfect treat for fall and winter when ripe, juicy pears are in-season and readily available at most supermarkets.
And now let’s talk ingredients:
Pears – Some pears hold up better to cooking than others. Green or red Anjou, Bosc, or Seckel are all good choices. And feel free to mix it up and use more than one variety.
Dried cherries – use lightly sweetened or unsweetened cherries, depending on your preference.
Chocolate chips – I prefer semisweet chocolate chips in this recipe, but you can substitute milk chocolate chips if that’s your preference. Just know that it will make the crisp a little sweeter overall.
Oats – Either quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats will work. Stay away from instant oats or steel cut oats for this recipe.
Cook’s Tips:
- I like to use ripe pears for this. Underripe pears won’t release enough juice as it bakes to make a luscious sauce, and you may also end up with undesirable hard pieces in the final product.
- If you enjoy nuts, add a few tablespoons of finely diced walnuts or pecans to the topping mixture before baking.
- When baking, I place my baking dish on a baking sheet in the oven, just in case the filling bubbles over.
- After baking, I store my crisp in the fridge for 3-4 days (if it lasts that long!). I can then scoop out a serving and reheat in the microwave when needed.
- Of course, the Chocolate Cherry Pear Crisp is delicious on its own, but I won’t ever turn down a scoop of vanilla ice cream to go with it!
So if you try this recipe, I hope you love it! Please let me know in the comments below.
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Ingredients
- 6 cups coarsely chopped pears (6-7 medium pears, peeled, and cored)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter, add an extra pinch of salt)
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted
- Butter or cooking spray for greasing pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and coat a 2-quart baking dish with butter or spray with oil.
- Add the pears, lemon juice, flour, salt, cinnamon, and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Toss to coat. Fold in the chocolate chips and cherries.
- In a separate mixing bowl, use a a fork to combine all of the topping ingredients until well-mixed.
- Pour the filling into the greased baking dish and use a spatula to level the filling.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the filling.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until filling is tender and bubbling, and topping is golden.
For more great recipes, visit my friends at:
Meal Plan Monday at Julia’s Simply Southern
Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage
Weekend Potluck at The Country Cook
Farm Fresh Tuesday at Little Frugal Homestead
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Miz Helen
Thank-you for the feature, Miz Helen! And thank-you for hosting a wonderful party every week!